By Tom Orsborn, Sports reporter | San Antonio Express-News, 2024-05-24 14:17:46
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
2024 年 4 月 08 日，在亚利桑那州格伦代尔的州农场体育场举行的全国大学篮球锦标赛比赛中，康涅狄格哈士奇队的 32 号多诺万·克林根保护着来自普渡锅炉工队的 15 号扎克·艾迪在禁区内的活动。
2017 年，7 英尺 1 英寸的保罗·加索尔和 6 英尺 11 英寸的拉马库斯·阿尔德里奇之间的有效高低传球帮助马刺队闯入西部决赛。
虽然下个月使用他们两个乐透选秀权之一选择庞大的 7 英尺 2 英寸、280 磅的多诺万·克林根不足以让马刺队复制七年前那场季后赛的成功，但这位康涅狄格州前明星和 2023 年 NBA 最佳新秀维克托·文班亚马将成为他们的另一对强有力的大个子组合。
“我觉得我一直在传球方面表现出色，”克林根上周在芝加哥的选秀大会上说。
20 岁的克林根本赛季为哈士奇队场均仅助攻 1.5 次，帮助球队连续第二次获得 NCAA 冠军，但他的助攻率为 14.1%，在主要联盟的中锋中排名第五。球探评价他为一名聪明的心理，无论他从哪里接球，他都能熟练地找到突破篮筐的队友。
“我喜欢传球，喜欢找到空位球员，”他说。“我是一个团队球员。我希望看到其他人取得成功。”
他的康涅狄格队友说，这位康涅狄格州本土球员无私的态度和幽默的个性使他成为哈士奇队中受欢迎的一员。
“如果是我们在康涅狄格州的同一个城镇长大，我会和他成为最好的朋友（在童年时代）”，UConn 后卫安德鲁·赫利在四强赛期间说。“很难不喜欢他……他的个性，他的职业道德，以及其他一切。很难讨厌他。”
作为一名二年级学生，克林根本赛季场均得到 13 分、7.5 个篮板和 2.5 次盖帽，成为本届选秀大会最热门的前场新秀之一。在 NCAA 锦标赛中，他表现得更好，在六场强势比赛中场均得到 15.3 分、8.3 个篮板和 3.2 次盖帽，让哈士奇队获得了他们的第六个 NCAA 冠军。
康涅狄格州的五名首发球员——克林根、斯特芬·卡斯尔、特里斯坦·牛顿、卡姆·斯宾塞和亚历克斯·卡拉班——都是受邀参加选秀大会的 78 名新秀之一，让哈士奇队成为在芝加哥拥有最多代表参赛队伍。
克林根和卡斯尔预计将成为前 10 名选秀。
马刺队拥有第 4 和第 8 顺位的选秀权。如果将克林根与 7 英尺 3 英寸的文班亚马配对，马刺队将获得一个超级前场。
“我们已经展示了我们在最高水平和最高舞台上的获胜能力，”克林根谈到他和他的 UConn 队友时说。“在过去的两年里，我们在锦标赛中取得了 12-0 的战绩。我们每场比赛都以 13 分或更多的优势获胜。我们只是想向（NBA）球队展示我们是有能力的赢家，并且会尽我们所能帮助我们的球队获胜，帮助团队中的每个人取得成功。”
克林根在本届锦标赛中的表现大幅提升，在 32 强中对阵西北大学时，他令人惊讶地盖帽八次，同时得到 14 分和 14 个篮板。根据 ESPN 追踪数据，在对阵伊利诺伊州的半决赛中，他也在防守端表现出色，他防守的对手 19 投 0 中。
在选秀大会上，克林根的臂展为 7 英尺 6 ¾ 英寸，站立摸高为 9 英尺 7 英寸。
“只是尽可能活跃于防守端，”他说。
NBA 选秀：乐透新秀斯特芬·卡斯尔向 NBA 球队指出他想担任控卫
尽管在本赛季仅投出八次三分球，克林根需要在自己的三分球投射上进行练习，但他相信自己可以成为一个稳定的远距离威胁。
“我知道我投的更好，”他说。
克林根还希望随着时间的推移，他能成为联盟中表现最好的大个子之一。
“我觉得你看到了（鲁迪）戈贝尔和所有这些传统的中锋，包括乔尔·恩比德和（尼古拉）约基奇，他们主宰着比赛的许多不同方面，”他说。“这是我想做的事情，所有这些小事都涉及到防守、保护篮筐、完成篮筐周围的动作、能够跳出来投三分，我当然喜欢传球，扩大场上空间。”
但他说他的主要榜样是约基奇，部分原因是他喜欢这位三届 NBA MVP 的组织能力。
“在传球方面，他与其他任何人都处于不同的水平，”克林根说。“他传球的方式扩大了场上的空间，并给他的队友带来了更多机会。我觉得这就是我想做的。”
原文如下：
Uconn’s Clingan would give the Spurs a second all-around 7-footer
[Image]
Donovan Clingan #32 of the Connecticut Huskies protects the lane form Zach Edey #15 of the Purdue Boilermakers during the National College Basketball Championship game at State Farm Stadium on April 08, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona.
An effective high-low passing game between 7-foot-1 Pau Gasol and 6-11 LaMarcus Aldridge helped the Spurs reach the Western Conference Finals in 2017.
While using one of their two lottery picks to select the enormous 7-foot-2, 280-pound Donovan Clingan next month wouldn’t be enough for the Spurs to duplicate the success of that deep playoff run seven years ago, it would give them another potent big-man pairing in the former Connecticut star and 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama.
“I feel like I’ve always had something for passing,” Clingan said last week at the draft combine in Chicago.
Clingan, 20, averaged just 1.5 assists this season for the Huskies on their way to a second consecutive NCAA title, but his assist rate was 14.1%, which ranked fifth among centers from major conferences. Rated by scouts as an intelligent passer wherever he catches the ball, he is adept at finding his teammates cutting to the basket.
“I’ve enjoyed passing, enjoyed finding the open man,” he said. “I’m a team guy. I want to see others succeed.”
The Connecticut native’s unselfish attitude and fun-loving personality made him a popular member of the Huskies, his teammates said.
"He’s somebody that if we had lived in the same town in Connecticut, me and him would have been best friends (growing up),” UConn guard Andrew Hurley said during the Final Four. “It’s so hard not to like him … his personality, his work ethic, everything. It’s hard to hate on the guy.”
As a sophomore this season, Clingan averaged 13 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks to emerge as one of the draft’s top frontcourt prospects. He was even better in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.2 blocks in a dominant six-game run that gave the Huskies their sixth NCAA title.
All five of Connecticut’s starters — Clingan, Stephon Castle, Tristen Newton, Cam Spencer and Alex Karaban — were among the 78 prospects invited to the combine, making the Huskies the program with the biggest representation in Chicago.
Clingan and Castle are expected to be top-10 picks.
The Spurs own the No. 4 and No. 8 selections. Pairing Clingan with the 7-foot-3 Wembanyama would give the Spurs a gigantic frontcourt.
“We’ve shown we can win at the highest level on the highest stages,” Clingan said of him and his UConn teammates. "We went 12-0 in the tournament the last two years. We won every game by 13 or more (points). We’re just trying to show (NBA) teams we’re winners and give everything we got to help our organization win and help everyone succeed on our team.”
Clingan’s already robust stock skyrocketed during the tournament when he had an eye-popping eight blocks against Northwestern in the Round of 32 to go along with 14 points and 14 rebounds. He also excelled defensively in the semifinals against Illinois, with opponents he guarded shooting 0 of 19, according to ESPN tracking data.
Clingan’s wingspan measured 7-6 ¾ at the combine and he had a standing reach of 9-7.
“Just trying to be as active as I can on the defensive end,” he said.
NBA DRAFT: Lottery prospect Stephon Castle points out to NBA teams he wants to play the point
Although he needs work on his 3-point shooting after attempting only eight shots from deep this season, Clingan is confident he can become a solid deep threat.
“I know I can shoot better,” he said.
Clingan also hopes that with time he can become one of the league’s best big man.
“I feel like you see (Rudy) Gobert and all these traditional centers, Joel Embiid, (Nikola) Jokic, the way they dominate so many different aspects of the game,” he said. “That’s something I’m going to try to do, all the little things that go into defense, protecting the rim, finishing around the rim, being able to step out to shoot the three, passing which I love to do, space the floor.”
But he said his main role model is Jokic, in part, because he loves the playmaking skills of the three-time NBA MVP.
“He’s on a different level than anyone else when it comes to passing,” Clingan said. “Just the way he can pass spaces the floor so much more and gives his teammates so many more opportunities. I feel like that’s what I’m trying to do.”
By Tom Orsborn, Sports reporter , via San Antonio Express-News